Beware of assaulting AIIMS docs! They may know taekwondo

This is perhaps one of those things that could only happen in India. Rising cases of violence against doctors has prompted nearly 1,500 resident doctors from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to learn taekwondo so that they are able to defend themselves from irate relatives of patients.

In March, after three incidents of violence were reported in three days, more than 3,000 resident doctors working in the emergency and out-patient departments and wards went on strike for five days in Maharashtra.

''We had supported our counterparts in Mumbai by wearing helmets to work in March. This is because we are genuinely concerned about our safety. Keeping the same in mind, we had requested the AIIMS administration to organise self-defence classes for us. They granted us permission to conduct taekwondo classes in AIIMS gymkhana club,'' said Dr Vijay Gurjar, president of the resident doctors' association.

The doctors, in batches of 100, will train at the gymkhana club between 7 and 8 pm every day from 15 May. The basic course will be for 6 months and the black belt course for 30 months.